Novel siderophore reductases in Gram-negative bacteria

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Henning Tidow
• Subject Area: Structural Biology ; Biochemistry
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 520193605

Ferric-siderophore pathways are not only a way for bacteria and fungi to acquire the essential ion Fe3+ but also offer a possibility for the development of novel antimicrobial compounds. Our ultimate long-term goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms of Fe3+/siderophore reduction for various protein families from Gram-negative pathogens and to subsequently use this knowledge to explore the design of novel siderophore-antibiotic conjugates. Within this project, we focus on the reduction mechanism of inner membrane reductases of the FoxB (COG3182) family. We seek to understand how membrane reductases of the FoxB family from Gram-negative pathogens function to release ferrous iron from their siderophore substrates. In addition, we will identify the electron donor for the Fe-siderophore reduction and determine the complex structure with FoxB.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants